1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid supply method, a liquid supply container, a negative pressure generating member container and a liquid container, more specifically relates to a liquid supply method in a liquid container in which a negative pressure generating member container and a liquid supply container are attachable/detachable with respect to each other.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional recording devices which perform recording on record materials (hereinafter referred to simply as xe2x80x9cthe record sheetxe2x80x9d) such as paper, cloth, plastic sheet, and OHP sheet are proposed as forms on which recording heads by various recording systems such as a wire dot system, heat-sensitive system, heat transfer system and ink jet system can be mounted.
Among the recording devices, as a low-noise non-impact recording system, the recording device (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cink jet recording devicexe2x80x9d) provided with the recording head of the ink jet recording system for discharging ink from a discharge port (nozzle) disposed on a recording element to perform the recording on the record sheet can realize a high-density high-speed recording operation.
The ink jet recording device is constituted to be adapted for the inherent function, use form, and the like of the system to which this device is applied. A general ink jet recording device is provided with a carriage on which an ink jet head cartridge constituted of a recording head, ink tank, and tank holder is mounted, conveyance means for conveying the record sheet, and control means for controlling these.
Moreover, the recording head for discharging ink droplets from a plurality of discharge ports is serially scanned in a direction (main scan direction) crossing at right angles to a record sheet conveyance direction (sub-scan direction), and the record sheet is intermittently conveyed (pitch-fed) by an amount equal to the record width during non-recording. By using the recording head in which a multiplicity of nozzles for discharging the ink are arranged on a straight line parallel to the sub-scan direction, when the recording head scans once on the record sheet, the recording is performed in a width corresponding to the number of nozzles.
Furthermore, for the ink jet recording device, the running cost is low, the device can be miniaturized, and color image recording can easily be performed using a plurality of color inks. Above all, in a line type recording device in which a line type recording head with a multiplicity of discharge ports arranged in the width direction of the record sheet, the recording can further be accelerated.
For the above-described reasons, the ink jet recording device is utilized and merchandised as information processing system output means such as a printer as the output terminal of a copying machine, facsimile machine, electronic typewriter, word processor, or a work station, and a handy or portable printer mounted on a personal computer, host computer, optical disk device, and video device.
On the other hand, examples of an energy generating element for generating an energy to discharge the ink from the discharge port of the recording head include a piezo-element or other elements using an electromechanical converter, an element for radiating laser or electromagnetic wave and generating heat to discharge ink droplets with the action by the heating, an electrothermal conversion element provided with a heating resistor for heating a liquid, and the like.
Above all, for the recording head of the ink jet recording system in which a heat energy is utilized to discharge the ink droplets, since the discharge ports can be arranged with a high density, high-resolution recording can be performed. Moreover, the recording head in which the electrothermal conversion element is used as the energy generating element is advantageous, because miniaturization is facilitated, the advantages of an IC technology or a micro processing technology remarkably advanced with an enhanced reliability in the recent semiconductor field can sufficiently be utilized, high-density mounting is facilitated, and manufacture cost is reduced.
Examples of the above-described recording head include a chip type recording head integrally formed with the ink tank, and a recording head in which the ink tank is attached/detached with respect to the tank holder integrally formed with the recording head.
Moreover, an ink tank is described in European Patent Publication No. EP0580433, which comprises an ink containing part substantially entirely sealed with respect to a negative pressure generating member containing chamber for containing an ink absorber and other negative pressure generating members. The ink tank is used while the negative pressure generating member containing chamber is opened to the atmosphere. Moreover, the ink tank structured described above in which the ink containing chamber is replaceable is described in European Patent Publication No. EP0581531. For the ink tank as the replaceable ink containing chamber, when the ink tank is detachably attached to the tank holder, the tank holder and ink tank are provided with engagement parts engaging with each other. Moreover, when the ink tank is mounted on the tank holder and the engagement parts engage with each other, the ink tank is fixed to the tank holder.
However, for the negative pressure generating member containing chamber detachably attached to the ink containing chamber as described above, when the ink containing chamber is separated from the negative pressure generating member containing chamber, there is a possibility that ink leaks from the communication part of the ink containing chamber, and to prevent this the communication part needs to be provided with a valve mechanism. On the other hand, in order to connect the negative pressure generating member containing chamber to the ink containing chamber, the valve needs to be opened. To achieve this, when a communicating part for communicating with the communication part of the negative pressure generating member containing chamber is constituted to open the valve, the communicating part requires a stroke length for opening the valve. Specifically, the communicating part requires a certain degree of length, and as a result, during gas-liquid exchange, an air bubble is supposed to be retained and accumulated on the upper wall surface inside the communicating part inserted into the communication part.
Wherefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply method for stably supplying a liquid without retaining or accumulating air bubble in a communication part, a liquid supply container, a negative pressure generating member container and a liquid container.
Moreover, further object of the present invention is to provide various related inventions newly developed to solve the above-described new technical problems such as the retention and accumulation of the bubble based on inventive viewpoints, such as a constitution for securing the degree of freedom in the movement of bubble, and a structure for promoting the ink movement to a negative pressure generating member containing chamber from an ink containing chamber.
To achieve the above-described objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid supply method for a liquid supply container comprising a liquid containing part for containing a liquid in a sealed space, and for a negative pressure generating member container detachably attached to the liquid supply container and provided with a negative pressure generating member which can hold the liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside. In the liquid supply method, the flow resistance of a communication part for connecting the liquid supply container to the negative pressure generating member container is reduced toward the liquid containing part.
In the liquid supply method, since the flow resistance of the communication part is reduced toward the liquid containing part, the liquid fluidity is enhanced. This also enhances the bubble fluidity, the bubble can flow into the liquid supply container without being retained or accumulated in the communication part during gas-liquid exchange, and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid supply method for a liquid supply container comprising a liquid containing part for containing a liquid in a sealed space, and for a negative pressure generating member container detachably attached to the liquid supply container and provided with a negative pressure generating member which can hold the liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside. In the liquid supply method, a gas restraint area on the top surface part side of a communication part for connecting the liquid supply container to the negative pressure generating member container is shorter than a liquid restraint area on the lower surface part side of the communication part.
In the liquid supply method, since the gas restraint area on the top surface part side of the communication part is shorter than the liquid restraint area on the lower surface part side, the bubble is easily discharged to the liquid supply container from the communication part, a smooth gas-liquid exchange operation is therefore possible, and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
Moreover, according to the present invention there is provided a liquid supply container which is detachably attached to a negative pressure generating member container comprising a negative pressure generating member able to hold a liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside, and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid in a sealed space. In the liquid supply container, the negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply tube for supplying the liquid, and the flow resistance of the supply tube is reduced toward the liquid containing part.
For the liquid supply container, since the flow resistance of the supply tube is reduced toward the liquid containing part, the liquid fluidity is enhanced. This also enhances the bubble fluidity, the bubble can flow into the liquid supply container from the negative pressure generating member container without being retained or accumulated in the supply tube during the gas-liquid exchange, and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid supply container which is detachably attached to a negative pressure generating member container comprising a negative pressure generating member able to hold a liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside, and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid in a sealed space. In the liquid supply container, the negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply tube for supplying the liquid, and the horizontal length of the top surface part of the supply tube is shorter than the horizontal length of the lower surface part of the supply tube.
In the liquid supply container, since the gas restraint area on the top surface part side of the supply tube is shorter than the liquid restraint area on the lower surface part side, the bubble is easily discharged to the liquid supply container from the supply tube, the smooth gas-liquid exchange operation is therefore possible, and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid supply container which is detachably attached to a negative pressure generating member container comprising a negative pressure generating member able to hold a liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside, and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid in a sealed space. In the liquid supply container, the negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply tube for supplying the liquid, and the sectional shape of the supply tube includes an area in which the sectional area of the supply tube increases toward the liquid containing part.
The liquid supply container is shaped such that the sectional area of the supply tube increases toward the liquid containing part. Specifically, this shape minimizes the influence of the wall surface constituting the supply tube on the liquid in the bubble flow direction, the flow path resistance decreases, and the liquid fluidity is therefore enhanced. This also enhances the bubble fluidity, the bubble can be introduced without being retained or accumulated in the supply tube during the gas-liquid exchange and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
Moreover, according to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid supply container which is detachably attached to a negative pressure generating member container comprising a negative pressure generating member able to hold a liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside, and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid in a sealed space. In the liquid supply container, the negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply tube for supplying the liquid, and the top surface part of the supply tube is relatively subjected to a water repellent treatment with respect to the other areas of the supply tube. In this case, since the top surface part of the supply tube is relatively subjected to the water repellent treatment with respect to the other areas of the supply tube, the liquid in contact with the top surface part easily flows by the water repellent effect of the top surface part, the bubble can therefore flow into the liquid supply container without being retained or accumulated in the supply tube during the gas-liquid exchange, and the liquid can stably be supplied to the negative pressure generating member container.
According to the present invention there is provided a negative pressure generating member container which is detachably attached to a liquid supply container comprising a liquid containing part containing a liquid in a sealed space and being able to be deformed to generate a negative pressure, and which comprises a negative pressure generating member able to hold the liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside. The negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply receiving tube to which the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply container, and a gas restraint area on the top surface part side of the supply receiving tube is shorter than a liquid restraint area on the lower surface part side of the supply receiving tube.
Moreover, according to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a negative pressure generating member container which is detachably attached to a liquid supply container comprising a liquid containing part containing a liquid in a sealed space and being able to be deformed to generate a negative pressure, and which comprises a negative pressure generating member able to hold the liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside. The negative pressure generating member container comprises a supply receiving tube to which the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply container, and the sectional shape of the supply receiving tube includes an area in which the sectional area of the supply receiving tube increases toward the liquid containing part.
According to the present invention there is provided a liquid container comprising: a negative pressure generating member containing chamber which comprises a liquid supply part for supplying a liquid to the outside and an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere and which holds the liquid inside; and a liquid containing chamber which forms a substantial sealed space excluding a communication part with respect to the negative pressure generating member containing chamber and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid. In the liquid container, a gas restraint area on the top surface part side of the communication part for connecting the liquid supply container to the negative pressure generating member container is shorter than a liquid restraint area on the lower surface part side of the communication part.
Moreover, according to the present invention there is further provided a liquid container comprising: a negative pressure generating member containing chamber which comprises a liquid supply part for supplying a liquid to the outside and an atmosphere communication part for communicating with the atmosphere and which holds the liquid inside; and a liquid containing chamber which forms a substantial sealed space excluding a communication part with respect to the negative pressure generating member containing chamber and which comprises a liquid containing part for containing the liquid. In the liquid container, the sectional shape of the communication part for connecting the liquid supply container to the negative pressure generating member container includes an area in which the sectional area of the communication part increases toward the liquid containing part.